RAAQUU, A LOCAL ARTISANAL BRAND TAKING A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH ABOUT ANCIENT JAPANESE POTTERY TECHNIQUES PRODUCING WORLD-CLASS CERAMIC ART
KUALA LUMPUR, 16 November 2023 –About 15 years ago when Adil Abdul Ghani first polished Raku pottery while studying ceramics training program in Japan. He was immediately taken by the piece and found himself dig deep into the process of its creation called Raku – a firing technique for pottery that Its origins may be linked to the art of the ancient Japanese tea ceremony. Since then, Adil taking various bold steps to hone his expertise in all things Raku brings the establishment of a new company called RAAQUU CERAMIC ART (RAAQUU) in 2020.
Within three years, RAAQUU has achieved a significant number of accomplishments. Adil’s brand of Raku with its five different type of finishes, namely full-copper matte, half-copper matte, smoked, carbon half-copper matte and obvara (a slightly varied technique of firing), has proven to be a hit both locally and internationally. In 2022 itself, RAAQUU recorded an unprecedented sales of more than RM1 million in ceramic art – gaining worldwide attention both online and offline in the process.
According to Adil, “Raku ceramics are special because of the unpredictability of its firing technique. Just like our tagline, ‘Painted By Fire’, Raku firing is done in an extremely hot kiln and then removed while the ceramic piece is still red-hot or molten. Immediately after coming out of the kiln, the ceramic piece is then placed in a reduction chamber filled with sawdust or paper. The extreme heat from the ceramic piece then ignites the combustible material in the reduction chamber, which is then sealed for a while.”
Adil continue to explain that what happens inside the reduction chamber is the key to the unique and unpredictable colours of each Raku ceramic piece. “At RAAQUU, each ceramic piece are different and cannot be reproduced. This makes each piece a unique work of art with its own story to tell. It is the main factor that drives the interest towards RAAQUU and made it into a coveted collector’s item.”
RAAQUU’s products ranges from miniature vases that you could slip into your pocket, to experimental sculptural pottery pieces from its Life Magnified collection created by Adil as the brand’s Creative Director and Ceramicist. The variety of products especially the one-of-a-kind sculptures are created to spark interest on RAAQUU and create a talkability and shareability factor, which is extremely important in this day and age.
They are made at RAAQUU’s operations base at Ara Damansara where the design studio and management office are also located. Raw materials, mainly clays, are ethically sourced from Mukim Sayong in Perak, the birthplace of another design marvel, our very own ‘labu Sayong’ or ‘water calabash’, a Malay traditional earthenware water container. “I feel that the merge between the historical elements of Malaysia and Japan where local crafts are concerned has in itself taken RAAQUU to another level of distinction and gravitas”, quips Adil on another noteworthy feature of RAAQUU.
Adil is currently busy preparing for RAAQUU’s first solo exhibition that is scheduled for mid January 2024. “We hope to show at least 20 large-scale sculptural pieces that have never been seen, and we will also be introducing our accessory items too. This is on top of RAAQUU’s most popular contemporary and functional home decoration products. For now, I must say that the RAAQUU team is fired up for our next phase of expansion. My focus is of course to ensure that RAAQUU maintains its level of artistry. We are in consistent R&D mode – researching and experimenting on how we could make our products better while still honouring the tradition and culture from which these incredible pieces came from”. He concluded, “In 2024, I am looking at collaborating with designers from any discipline to create other exciting and unique products for RAAQUU, and are keen to explore new partnerships especially in the retail industry. So far, RAAQUU’s partnerships with The Datai in Langkawi, FERN Batik Collective and Gudang have created various positive impact to the brand”, says Adil enthusiastically.
RAAQUU currently ships to 32 countries worldwide and can be purchased online via www.raaquu.com where you can also find other in-depth information on the brand. RAAQUU is also available on Etsy, Amazon, Patreon etc. Terms and conditions apply.
Follow RAAQUU on social media for latest updates on the brand, as follows:
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/raaquuceramics
Tik Tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@RAAQUUceramics
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/raaquuceramics
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@raaquuceramics
